Prior to medical school, learning various factoids about human health and physiology was down-right fun. Being force-fed those factoids ad nauseum for two years was not. I've heard it been said that medical education is a bit like attempting to take a sip from a fire hydrant. "Oh...you've got a thirst for knowledge, do you?" Within seconds, you are gasping for air, regretting that you said "yes." And though I have not once regretted my decision to enter medical school, I have frequently wished I was somehow more prepared prior to its start. The truth is, nothing could have possibly prepared me for the non-stop, rapid integration of information, but a few little tweaks in my study habits could have made the past two years a little easier.
Part way through second year, I began using Anki. Anki is a free (on your laptop, but $25 for the mobile app) flashcard program, that does more than most out there. Anki uses an algorithm for spaced repetition to help you memorize far more than you think you can. There is a great little website by Piotr Wozniak, PhD, that talks about spaced repetition in learning theory if you are interested in reading more about why a program like Anki makes sense for the overwhelmed med student. I started my first year of medical school with a different (and pricey) flashcard program that was honestly too much for me to work through. My learning became a ton more active and more efficient as I began creating my own cards (from lecture PowerPoints) or editing pre-existing decks to meet my needs. If there was just one resource to begin with, using Anki to help you plow through class lectures would have to be it. Fortunately and unfortunately, there isn't just one source! The fortunate part is that there are many great tools that can help you master the material. The unfortunate part is that med school is so fast-paced that you will probably waste precious time trying to figure out what works best for you.
As I got closer to taking Step 1, I opted to use the Doctors in Training program to guide my study time. Like most teaching tools, bootlegged copies are floating around on the Interwebs. DIT has put in considerable effort to revamp and improve their program. The 2015 version was engaging and (no...really...I'm not lying...) enjoyable. It was like having good company in the midst of my misery. I relied heavily on Pathoma and SketchyMedical to fill in the blanks and reinforce what I was reviewing in First Aid. (P.S. Subscribe to Sketchy when you are in microbiology; the payoff is huge.)
So what did the six weeks prior to Step 1 look like? In short, hell. Some days were spent speeding through 16 DIT lectures, and others were spent feeling like I could barely keep my focus long enough to get through four. I attempted to follow a more predictable, constant study schedule, but that just didn't seem to agree with my life. My friends and I would set aside times to meet up and review practice tests together. It was an invaluable part of my learning process, but that also meant each test entailed taking an 8-hour "break" from my scheduled lectures: 4 hours of questions and 4 hours to discuss our rationale on those questions. Oh yeah...and then there were those other little things like taking care to an allergic reaction that my son had, and getting my daughter settled-in at her summer internship out of town, and all those other little mommy moments that are delightfully unpredictable. But I got through it, and if you are determined enough to land your butt in medical school when others tell you that it's a selfish thing to do, and you're capable of cramming your brains into oblivion before each and every freaking exam, then you can certainly do it too!
A few weeks ago, I found out that I passed that awful thing. Having Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination behind me is a glorious feeling. Yes, I still have the two-part Step 2 exam to take before I graduate next year and Step 3 awaiting me during my first year of residency, but knowing that I've conquered the beastly Step 1 gives me the confidence to know I can see this thing through to the end. Which really means I'll soon be seeing a new beginning.
I found your blog last fall I think. I devoured every post, too quickly. I lamented your marital dissolution and smiled at your amazing kids! You have been a quiet reminder to me that this is possible. I am 40 (that's tough to say!), have 3 kids (10, 7, 5), a super supportive but very busy husband, a full time career (not in health care at all) and a plan. For the past 8 months I've been volunteering at a big hospital and it's been wonderful. It really confirmed that I want to do what you are just finishing - it was so exciting to read that you passed Step 1! I'm just at the starting point of the pre-med science coursework...Chem, Bio and Stats start in 3 weeks. Already having a bachelors, this is all post-bacc work at nights. As a lifelong distance runner, I fully understand the metaphor of this MD path being a marathon. But, as a not-so-young person, I just wish I'd done this sooner! I regularly question the rationality of doing this to my family. But, seeing your recent posts about your wonderful children inspires me. You did this! Your kids don't hate you for it! It means I too can do it and my kids aren't guaranteed to be scarred by it either. All your posts about the balance between laundry, packing lunches, managing drop-offs, studying, the awkward family conversations about "What? Aren't you too old?", etc. have all spoken volumes to me. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that what I have written resonates with you! When I first started this blog, I told myself "if you put it in writing it makes it real." And, yes, this is indeed very real! Entering a career in medicine later in life is definitely manageable. I truly believe that my persistence has played a greater role in getting me here than my smarts.
DeleteKeep your Spidey Senses turned on when you go out on interviews--each school has its own vibe, and mine has been perfect for me.
Another great post. Now that you have taken both the MCAT and STEP? Is there a correlation between the two? Would you say that the MCAT is just a test to weed out medical schools applicants? If you had the options the options to take upper level classes prior to starting medschool, which of the following courses would you have taken: immunology, histology, cell bio, molecular bio, neurobiology, and biophysics.
ReplyDeleteAt lunch today, a couple of classmates were lamenting over Step 1 scores. One of them was my "MCAT twin" meaning we got the exact same score in each of the three sections of the MCAT. During the first two years of med school, he high-passed or honored virtually every one of the blocks. I did not. I was solidly at the middle of the class. He took immunology, histology, and molecular biology. When Step 1 rolled around, I thought for sure he would out-score me. He did not. I beat him by about 1 standard deviation.
DeleteHaving said that, more familiarity with the material is always better. Right? "Better," unfortunately does not necessarily translate into higher scores.
Step 1 is wildly variable. I know people whose scores were consistent with how they did on the practice exam, and I know other people who scored 10-20 points (that equates to 0.5 to 1 standard deviation) below their practice tests. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who was surprised to have a higher Step 1 score than expected.
With half of my rotations behind me, I'm pleased to report that the third year of med school is a whole new ball game. I passed internal medicine, high-passed psychiatry, and honored obstetrics and gynecology. Learning in the clinical setting just works better for me.